Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has once again sparked controversy by reiterating that Lord Ram was born in Nepal, not in India. Speaking at a party event in Kathmandu on Monday, Oli cited Valmiki’s Ramayana as the basis for his claim and urged the Nepalese people not to hesitate in promoting this belief.
“Lord Ram was born in Nepal. I am not making this up—it is based on Valmiki’s Ramayana. There is no need for Nepalese citizens to be reluctant in asserting this fact. Ram’s birthplace remains in Nepal, but we have not promoted it enough. This truth may be uncomfortable for some,” Oli said. He also claimed that Lord Shiva and Sage Vishwamitra were born in Nepal, referencing ancient scriptures.
This is not the first time Oli has made such remarks. In 2020, he stated that the original Ayodhya was located in Thori, a region in Nepal’s Chitwan district, and asserted that King Dasharatha performed the Putrakameshti Yagna there. Those comments had triggered widespread criticism both domestically and in India.
Following the uproar in 2020, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a clarification, stating that the Prime Minister’s remarks were not intended to offend religious sentiments. The ministry noted that there are differing scholarly views regarding Ram’s birthplace and that Oli had merely called for a deeper study of the Ramayana.